00:06You know, pride is one of the hardest sins to see in ourselves, because it rarely introduces
00:13itself honestly.
00:16It does not usually walk into a room and say, I am pride.
00:21It often comes disguised as confidence, self-protection, ambition, strength, independence.
00:29intelligence, or the need to be right.
00:34And pride can sound mature, it can sound responsible, it can even sound spiritual.
00:42But underneath all of its disguises, pride is the part of us that says, I do not need
00:50correction, I do not need help, I do not need to apologize, I do not need to change, I can
00:59stand above this.
01:01And that's where pride becomes dangerous, in my opinion.
01:06Because pride does not just make you think too highly of yourself.
01:12Pride makes it too heavy to be lifted by God.
01:16And the Bible says, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
01:29That is a serious statement.
01:31It does not say God dislikes confident people.
01:36It doesn't say God rejects people who have gifts, talents, leadership, courage, or influence.
01:42It says God resists the proud.
01:46Why?
01:47Because pride closes the hands that humility opens.
01:54Grace is a gift.
01:56We can all agree on that.
01:58But pride cannot receive it because pride is always trying to prove it already has enough.
02:06And pride makes us defend what God is trying to heal.
02:10It makes us excuse what God is trying to expose.
02:14It makes us protect an image while our soul is quietly suffering behind it.
02:22Pride can keep a person looking strong in public while they are actually falling apart in private.
02:30And many times, pride is not loud arrogance.
02:35Sometimes, pride is the quiet refusal to admit we are hurting.
02:40Sometimes, pride is not asking for prayer because we do not want people to know we are struggling.
02:49Sometimes, pride is refusing to say, I was wrong because we're afraid the admission will make us look weak.
02:58Sometimes, pride is holding on to bitterness because apologizing feels like losing.
03:06But in the kingdom of God, humility is not losing.
03:12Humility, it's freedom.
03:15Humility says, Lord, I need you.
03:18Humility says, teach me.
03:21Humility says, search my heart.
03:25Humility says, I do not want to win an argument and lose my peace.
03:30I do not want to protect my ego and damage my family.
03:35I do not want to look right while becoming wrong inside.
03:42And that kind of prayer, well, friends, that kind of prayer can change your life.
03:48Because pride tells us we have to be above people.
03:52Jesus teaches us to kneel and serve them.
03:57Pride tells us to hide our weakness.
04:01Jesus meets us in weakness.
04:04And he gives us strength.
04:07Pride tells us correction is humiliation.
04:12Jesus shows us correction can be mercy.
04:15Pride says, I deserve better.
04:20Humility says, Lord, make me better.
04:25Look at Jesus.
04:27If anyone had the right to demand honor, it was him.
04:31I mean, if anyone had the right to be served, praised, protected, and obeyed, it was him.
04:38Yet, he washed feet.
04:40He touched lepers.
04:42He welcomed children.
04:44He ate with sinners.
04:46He carried a cross he did not deserve.
04:50The King of kings did not come clothed in pride.
04:56He came clothed in humility.
05:00And that should make us stop and think for one second.
05:04Think of it this way.
05:06If Jesus was humble, why are we so afraid to be?
05:11Maybe because humility feels risky.
05:16It asks us to stop performing.
05:19It asks us to stop pretending.
05:22It asks us to admit that we are not always right.
05:26Not always strong.
05:29Not always wise.
05:31Not always in control.
05:33But that is exactly where God begins to work.
05:37You see, God does some of his deepest work in the people who finally say,
05:44Lord, I cannot fix myself without you.
05:49And that sentence may feel small, but heaven hears it.
05:53Pride keeps score.
05:56Humility keeps growing.
05:58Pride demands recognition.
06:00Humility trusts God with the reward.
06:05Pride needs the last word.
06:08Humility knows peace is something worth more than being understood.
06:13Pride gets offended by truth.
06:17Humility asks, Lord, what are you trying to show me?
06:22And here's the lesson.
06:25Friends, pride may protect your image, but humility will protect your soul.
06:32You can win the room and still lose your heart.
06:36You can prove your point and still damage your witness.
06:40You can be admired by people and still be resisting the very grace God is trying to give you.
06:47And that is why we have to bring pride to the Lord honestly.
06:53Not with shame.
06:55Not with self-hatred.
06:57Not with religious performance.
07:00Just honesty.
07:02Jesus, show me where pride is hiding in me.
07:06Show me where I have become hard.
07:10Show me where I refuse correction.
07:12Show me where I care more about being seen than being surrendered.
07:19Show me where I have confused confidence with control.
07:24Show me where I need to apologize, soften, listen, forgive, or let go.
07:31That kind of prayer, my friends, is not weakness.
07:36It's spiritual courage.
07:38Because the humble person is not the person who thinks they are worthless.
07:44Humility is not walking around defeated, insecure, or silent.
07:50Humility is knowing the truth about yourself in the presence of God.
07:55It is knowing that you are loved, but still being willing to be corrected.
08:02It's knowing that you are gifted, but still remembering the gift came from God.
08:11It is knowing you have strength, but still depending on the one who gave it to you.
08:18And the world often teaches us to build a name.
08:22Jesus teaches us to surrender a heart.
08:50And the beautiful thing is this.
08:53When God humbles us, He's not trying to destroy us.
08:58He's trying to free us from the exhausting pressure of pretending to be more than we are.
09:05You don't have to be the strongest person in every room.
09:10You do not have to have every answer.
09:13You do not have to defend every mistake.
09:16And you do not have to carry the heavy armor of pride anymore.
09:23You can lay it down.
09:25You can be honest.
09:27You can be teachable.
09:29You can be forgiven.
09:32You can start again.
09:34Pride says, I must lift myself up.
09:37Faith says, God will lift me in due time.
09:44So today, let this be the lesson.
09:47Do not let pride cost you what humility could heal.
09:51Do not let pride steal your peace, your relationships, your repentance, your growth, or your closeness with God.
10:09Come low before the Lord, not because you are nothing, but because He is everything.
10:18And when you humble yourself before Him, you will find something pride could never give you.
10:26Rest, grace, and peace.
10:33And what you will find there is the steady hand of Jesus lifting you back up.
10:42My name is Douglas Vandergraaf, and I believe in Jesus Christ.
10:48God bless every single one of you.
10:52Every single one.
10:56Bye-bye.
10:57Bye-bye.
Comments